GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Local businessman Brian Ellis says U.S. Rep. Justin Amash doesn't vote with the values of the Third District in mind, and he'll be the candidate to bring those principles back to Washington.

Despite their Republican Party association, Amash, R-Cascade Township, and Ellis are at odds. Here are a few areas where they differ and how Ellis describes his better path forward:

On the National Security Agency

"To me, it's two separate issues," Ellis said. "I'm not privy to all the data and information that (Amash) has, but by everything I read, it appears as if the NSA has overstepped the bounds and possibly is being too intrusive with collection of the data. We should rein that in.

"Where I'm not in agreement (with Amash,) ... when a government contractor takes our secrets ... goes to a foreign country and spills, Amash calls that a whistleblower. I have a problem with that. He's a flat-out traitor in my book.

"I agree with what (Amash) is doing. Again, if the NSA appears, I'm going by what I read, if this steps over the line, then by all means our privacy should be protected. Our privacy and and safety always has been at tension. It appears we have overreacted from 9/11 and 9/11 was a horrific event, and our government has reacted to keep us safe. I think we all want safety ... but that doesn't give (Edward) Snowden a pass. He's broken laws.

"He's exposing our precious methods and information all designed to keep the country safe. That is not a whistleblower in my mind. ... There's a way to do that within our country and within our laws and he chose to violate that and disclose that information."

"Justin was part of the Ted Cruz, (R-Texas), faction, the threat to default on our debt," Ellis said. "I find that very irresponsible.

"At the end of the day, Republicans ended up with a black eye. The premise was right. 'Obamacare' is and has been a disaster but the tactic ... you do not threaten to default on our debt, you do not threaten the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. That's something you do not fool around with.

"A lot of our issues are economic in nature, and I'm very focused on that because we need more jobs and a better performing economy," Ellis said. "When there's policy issues before Congress, you need to take votes that are going to further and bolster the economy.